Medical specialties are diverse, so not everyone can tell what the audiologist does, who it is and in what situations to address it. This doctor is not in every clinic, so the need for a visit to him is often recognized by chance.
Who is this and what does the audiologist cure?
If there was a question "the doctor is a surdologist - who is this", there is a high probability that there is no need to visit this specialist. This is a narrow-profile otolaryngologist, interested in studying pathologies of the hearing organs. It helps with congenital and acquired disorders, there are specialists who perform operations to restore normal function of the ear. Diagnosis of hearing is in the sphere of interest of this specialist, but only if there is a suspicion of malfunctioning, related organs.
What does the surdologist do?
The main direction of the work is to identify and treat pathologies of the hearing organs. The surdologist, on the basis of identified problems, selects methods for restoring normal function or recommends a hearing aid. Find out what the audiologist is doing, accounting for 10% of the population with varying degrees of severity of hearing problems. Some time a person may not even guess about their presence, because the brain compensates for the unheeded.
To find out where a surdologist is taking, who it is to undergo treatment, risk people at:
- diabetes mellitus;
- the habit of listening to loud music in headphones;
- heavy otitis media ;
- frequent stay in places with a high level of noise;
- head injuries;
- taking medications (neurotoxic antibiotics);
- complications of diseases;
- congenital disturbances in the structure of the organs of hearing.
What does the surdologist cure?
The specialist can prescribe medication, perform a physiotherapy procedure or a surgical procedure. What the lord-surdologist is doing, who is already clear, it remains to understand in which cases he can help. These include the following violations.
- Ménière's disease , characterized by the defeat of the middle ear, leading to noise in the ears and hearing loss.
- Otosclerosis.
- Acoustic neurinoma is a benign tumor that also leads to imbalance.
- Aural hearing loss.
- Damage to the tympanic membrane.
- Noise in the ears . The disease that the audiologist treats must belong to his sphere of competence, that is, such effects should not be caused by problems of other body systems.
- Hearing loss due to noise. Sharp high-intensity noise can provoke rupture of the tympanic membrane and damage to the hair cells, the result will be complete deafness.
When to call a surdologist?
Not every polyclinic has this specialist, so the reception of a hearing therapist can be carried out on the personal initiative of the ill person. Refer to the doctor if the following problems occur.
- Reducing acuity of hearing.
- Noise and pain in the ears.
- Problems in determining the source of sound.
- Difficulties with understanding speech. It also applies to children, often they can not begin to speak because of this problem. In this case, the child's audiologist will help.
- Need to increase the volume of the TV or radio.
- Poor speech intelligibility during a telephone conversation.
How does the receptionist get by?
At the first visit, the doctor must perform the following actions:
- study of medical history;
- interview;
- audit of acuity of hearing;
- examination of the ear canal.
Based on the information received, the reception of the surdologist's doctor continues with the appointment of therapy or additional research. It can be:
- tympanometry - assessment of hearing at different frequencies and condition of the auditory tube;
- electrocochleography - is used in case of stuffy ears, dizziness;
- otomicroscopy;
- reflexometry;
- audiometry.
The doctor can advise the patient to consult with specialists of other profiles - neurologist, pediatrician, surgeon, cardiologist. It is required for the exclusion of diseases, the symptomatology of which includes hearing disorders. A frequent indication for such a recommendation is the presence of noise in the ears, this sign can talk about problems with the spine or blood vessels.
How does the audiologist check the hearing?
For a long time there was only one way to establish the quality of the hearing: the doctor whispered a word and asked the patient to repeat it. Now the method is also used, you can even see how the audiologist checks the child's hearing with his help, but there are also alternative approaches. They are used for repeated examinations and for diagnosing the hearing of young children. In the latter case, activities are carried out for:
- the study of reflexes;
- pressure of the middle ear;
- the definition of acoustic resistance in the external auditory canal;
- analysis of the activity of the tympanic membrane.
Tips for the audiologist
In order not to find out who is this surdologist, and to register with him at the reception, you need to observe precautions. Even if there are no problems with hearing, there is no need to feel the limits of one's own endurance. Neglecting regular examinations is also undesirable, the audiologist-audiologist can restore hearing or significantly improve the quality of life, but it is better not to give him unnecessary reasons to work.
How to keep hearing?
The surdologist not only helps to eliminate the problems that have arisen and selects a suitable hearing aid, but also tells how to keep the hearing until old age.
The main recommendations include:
- Treatment. A common cold can lead to complications of the throat and ear, and if insufficient attention will lead to a worsening of the hearing.
- Medicines. Some drugs, especially antibiotics, with uncontrolled use can worsen the condition of the hearing. It is better to consult a specialist before taking such medications.
- Protection. When visiting the pool or living on the beach, it is advisable to protect your ears from water ingress. Suitable earplugs or cotton swabs, impregnated with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil.
- Noise. Danger of noise is more than 80 decibels, with a constant presence in places with exceeding the threshold, you need to use special means.
- Pressure. In the plane during landing and take-off, you need to open your mouth to equalize the pressure, and after the flight it will be useful to have a short stay in silence. In the case of dragging by diving, one should not neglect elementary rules so as not to get barotrauma.
- Sulfuric plugs. It is better to entrust the specialist to remove them.
- Absence of overloads. Hearing organs are able to adapt to external conditions, with constant presence in the zone of increased noise, the sensitivity of the auditory analyzer will decrease.